Method of stabilizing clay-treated oils



Aug. 13, 1929. G, F OLSEN l ,724,50

METHOD OF STABILIZING CLAY TREATED OILS Filed Aug. 31. 1926 Patented Aug. A1li, 1929.

UNITED sauras rasant ortica.

GEORGE OLSEN, F LOSAANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL PETRO- LEUM CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

METHOD OF STABILIZIN'G CLAY-TREATED OILS. I

App1ication led August 31, 1926. Serial No. 132,802.

I and the oil thereafter atomized with `steam before it is permitted to return to atmospheric temperature. l

This hot filtration and hot atomization produce immediate separation from the oil of undesired volatile bodies, a non-oxidizing `iuid such as steam or an inert gas being Used for the atomizing effect, and an evaporator utilized to separate the stabilized oil from the vapors of certain odorous and deleterious light bodies.

It is a known fact thatfpetroleum oils which have been treated with clay for the removal of acidity or color almost invariably have a foreign smell, and that they are likely 25 to deteriorate in. color.. It is believed that the foreign odor and the tendency to revert in color are due to the presence of small amounts (from of^1 percent to 2 percent) of chemically unstable unsaturated hydrocarbons, of low molecular weight and low boiling point, which are produced by the chemical activity of the clay at the temperatures required to get satisfactory decolorizling effects therefrom. The darkening of these unstable bodies is augmented by subsequent heating, and especiallyby heating under conditions favorable to oiidation. Heretofore, these bodies have either ybeen left in the oil, or,` after the clay has been 40- removed (in the usual manner) they have been expelled by -reheating the oil and blowing it with steam; This relieating has added an avoidable step, disadvantageous not only Von account of its cost but because of an in- 45, variable darkening effect upon thev oil, it bel ing impossible to reheat the oil to the tem'- peraturev necessary-to volatilize the unstable lelements without aV serious reversion in color. A v

It is accordingly a" primary object of my invention to provide means and methods vwhereby a clay treated'oil'may be substantially freed of deleterious volatile bodies at a low cost and infsueh manner as to ,remove the foreign odor and to avoid reversion. in color.

Other objects of my invention willappear from the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, taken in connection with the append-ed claims and theaccompanyin'g drawings, in which The figure is an entirely diagrammatic elevational View adapted to serve also as a fiow sheet, parts being broken away.

.Referring to the figure, 11 is a still provided with an agitator 12, a valved steam inlet 13, a valved pipe for the introduction of oil and clay at 14, near the inlet end of said still, a vapor outlet at 15, a residuum outlet at 16, at the bottom of said still and near its outlet end, remote from the inlet 14.

The outlet 16 communicates by valved bran-ch pipes 17 and 18 with filter' presses 19 and 20, suitable for alternative use in continuous y operation;- and valved outlets 21 and '22 from said filter presses converge at 23 and communicate by a short pipe 24, with a steam injector 25, placed at the inlet ofan'evaporator 26. f

The evaporator 26 is provided with a vapor outlet 27 which communicates by Way of condenser 28, with a storage tank 29,'and

with a bottom outlet 30 for oil not evaporated during atomization. A predetermined level of oil is maintained in the evaporator 26, bythe provision of the trap 31, and oil owing out said trap is promptly reduced in temperature by the cooler 32, communicating With a storage tank 33 for the finished lubricant. Using the apparatus described and operating continuously, l introduce through the inlet 1.4 of the still 11 an oil to be treated and a suitable. clay. The oil may be any oil suitable for use as a lubricant, and' is admixed' (in advance of its admission into the still 11 or subsequently thereto) with analkali or an adsorbent clay or with a combination Aof both, enough clay being added to complete the neutralization of the oil or to produce therein a desired color.

The oil containing the clay is then heated, preferably with agitation, Yto the desired temperature (which may vary from 300 F. to 600 steam and vapors being withdrawn through the vaporI outlet 15. The residualmass of oil and clay (which may be renewed by introduction of additional oil and clay through the inlet 14 as it is withdrawn through the outlet 16) is promptly filtered, while still hot, in presses 19 and 20, air being excluded therefrom and the presses so operated as to produce continuous outflow of filtered oil through the valved pipes 21 and 22 toward the injector 25.

The aforesaid filtration may take place at a temperature between 350 and 400.0 F., the filtered oil being excluded from air and prevented from substantial cooling up to the moment of the steam atomization by which it is projected into the evaporator 26.

The steam introduced through a pipe 34 should be at substantially the same temperature as t-he oil so that no heat may be trans- `ferred from oil to steam and thus lost.

The object of the atomization with steam is to subdivide the oil containing volatile impurities'into the minute particles which will present the largest ratio of surface to mass, thus making it possible for those volatherein.

Dependent uponthe condition and char-l acter of the oil introduced, uponthe temperature at which the same is delivered to the injector 25 and upon the temperature of the steam introduced, the quantity of such steam may amount to about 10% (as measas the state of the art will permit, is set forth and llimited solely by the attached claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A method of removing deleterious volatile substances from lubricating oils which have been heated with clay and separated from said clay while still hot, which consists in subjecting saidseparated oil, while i still hot, to atomization by a non-oxidizing fluid to pro'note vaporization of said-volatile substances. l

2 A method substantially as defined in claim 1. in which the atomization is effected' by steam. n

3..A method of removing deleterious volatile substances from lubricating oils which have been heated with clay and'separated from said clay, which consists in subject- `ing said separated oil, in a heated condition,

to atomization into an atmosphere of nonloxidizing; fluid to promote vaporization of said volatile substances. y

4. A. method substantially as defined in claim 3 in which the oil is atomized into an atmosphere of steam. Y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los vAngeles, California, this 10th day of August, 1926.

GEORGE F. oLsEN. 

